Steer prices pushed to more than 400 cents a kilogram at Yea, as Victoria's weaner sales continued their momentum
Elders agents sold 3905 head of steers and heifers, at their annual Blue Ribbon sale. Steers sold to a top of $1580 a head, while the best priced heifers sold for $1590/hd.
Elders Yea livestock territory sales manager Jamie Quinlan said it was a "magnificent run of cattle."
"It was a very even draft of cattle, I think we yarded 2100 head of Angus steers, which averaged about 400c/kg," Mr Quinlan said.
"Once you got under 370kg, you were paying 400c/kg and there were some little cattle that were making 430-440c/kg."
He estimated the sale could have been 30-50c/kg or $300 a head dearer, than the last one.
Many of the early runs of slightly heavier steers were snapped up by Pakenham Korumburra and Leongatha agents..
"The Gippslanders were very strong, they always are on these cattle, they clearly get the results when they go to kill them," Mr Quinlan said.
Commission buyers, Duncan Brown, Albury, Campbell Ross, Melbourne and Andrew Lowe, Wagga Wagga bought cattle for South Australia or to go north, he said.
Heifers went as far away as South Australia and Gundagai, Coonamble and Inverell, NSW, as well as locally, to Gippsland, Kyneton and Bendigo.
Feedlots, including Australian Food and Agriculture, Deniliquin, NSW, were also at Yea, with Mr Quinlan saying they were most likely looking for cattle to background.
"There is clearly a thought with them that they may run out of a consistent supply of cattle, so I think they are trying to shore up supply of feeder weighted stock," he said.
"You have a great season, all the way from the southern part of Victoria, all through to parts of Queensland - there is feed everywhere," he said.
Michael Spagnolo, Boxhill Pastoral, Yea, predicted the sale would be "a lot better" than previous auctions - "that's the plan, anyway," he said.
The property had a dry spell, which stopped the pasture growing, he said.
"You only need a month when things tighten up and it takes a while to get back on track," he said.
Graham Williamson was buying steers for Zonzo Estate, Yarra Glen.
He picked up a pen of 24 Barrow Pastoral, Beveridge, Barwidgee-blood steers, 357kg, for $1420 or 397c/kg.
"They were weaned and quiet, that's the main thing for our property," he said.
Box Hill Pastoral, Yea, sold 22 Connamara-blood steers, 413kg, for $1520 or 368c/kg and 74 head, 359kg, for $1420 or 395c/kg.
Lorton Vale Kanumbra, sold 24 Milton Park and Connamara-blood steers, 426kg, for $1560 or 366c/kg and 25, 383kg, for $1550 or 404c/kg.
The Lily, Yarck, sold its first pen of 22 Cluden Newry, Tamaroo, Kelly and Landfall-blood steers, 408kg, for $1580 or 387c/kg.
HD Middleton, Trafalgar, sold 22 Innesdale-blood steers, 391kg, for $1540 or 393c/kg.
Cremona Park, Molesworth, sold 20 Millah Murrah, Merlewood and Tamaroo-blood steers, 395kg, for $1500 or 379c/kg and 68, 330kg, for $1340 or 406c/kg.
Killara, Alexandra, sold 25 Rennylea-blood steers, 382kg, for $1510 or 395c/kg.
Dairy Creek Farm, Dairy Creek, sold 22 Glendaloch and Kelly-blood steers, 357kg, for $1430 or 400c/kg.
G and H Hauser, Murrindindi, sold 19 Ashwood Park and Falls View-blood steers, 391kg, for $1410 or 360c/kg.
R Armstrong, Evergreen, Island Bend, sold 18 Yavenvale and Tarcombe-blood steers, 384kg, for $1460 or 380c/kg.
Nutfield Partnership, Molesworth, sold 20 Glentrevor and Glen View Park-blood steers, 354kg, for $1360 or 384c/kg.
G and M Aldridge sold 20 Injemira and Wirruna-blood steers, 292kg, for $1130 or 386c/kg.
Waimarie sold 17 Glendaloch-blood steers, 327kg, for $1300 or 397c/kg.
PD and P Ryan, Pyalong, sold 80 Mollison View and Landfall-blood steers, 299kg for $1270 or 424c/kg and 30, 274kg, for $1240 or 452c/kg.
M and A Brown, Glenaroua, sold 18 Levenvale and Landfall-blood steers, 265kg, for $1120 for 422c/kg.
Majajolu, Yarck, sold 12 Absolute-blood steers, 244kg, for $1060 or 434c/kg.
SJ and GK Cllifton, Oakridge, Seymour, sold 23 Anvil-blood heifers, 350kg, for $1590 or 454c/kg.
Middleton sold 20 heifers, 364kg, for $1430 or 392c/kg.
J Woolmer, Alexandra, sold 20 Lawsons-blood heifers, 362kg, for $1450 or 400c/kg.
Box Hill sold 24 heifers, 341kg, for $1200 or 351c/kg.
Bumanto, Yea, sold 26 Connamara-blood heifers, 342kg, for $1250 or 365c/kg.
RG Reed, Acheron, sold 15 All Black Angus-blood heifers, 330kg, for $1040 or 315c/kg.
Andrew Miller
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
